Reduce, Reuse and Recycle:Bahrain Lines Up Green Resolutions for the New Year

People in Bahrain have New Year resolutions ranging from changing their lifestyle to travelling, so why not go green this year, asks an environmentalist in the country. With dwindling resources, going ‘green’ could improve not only one’s lifestyle but also help the environment, Bahrain’s Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife, Waste Disposal Unit Directorate of Environmental Control Head Rehan Ahmed said.

“To be a part of a constructive team working towards a healthy and green earth, one needs to make firm resolutions to save water, energy and generate less waste in all forms,” he said.

Use Electricity Wisely

Simple things and modifications to your life can make a significant difference. “Use electricity judiciously and only when required and switch off unnecessary lights,” said Mr. Ahmed. “Turn off the electric instruments and appliances after use like mobile phone chargers, computers, iron, water heater, TV, VCR and DVD.

Also, a laptop consumes nearly five times less electricity than a desktop.” He urged people to iron clothes in one batch, rather than one item at a time and to replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs) which consume four times less energy, and last eight times longer.

“Pay attention to the location and configuration of light fixtures. Efficient lighting can reduce electricity needs by up to 8 times,” he said. “Minimise the air conditioning load by using fans,” he said and added that reducing thermostat to 1c can save around 4 per cent of energy use.

Save Water

Treated water is expensive and a dripping tap can waste as much as 1-litre of water per hour, reminded Mr Ahmed.“Use water and especially potable water judiciously – don’t run the water tap unnecessarily during bathing, washing and brushing,” he said. Shockingly, a leaking toilet could waste as much as 200 litres of water per day and this is equivalent to flushing your toilet 50 times, he explained.

Mr Ahmed highlighted that a shower instead of a bath consumes four times less water, while power showers save more water than low-flow showerheads.“Water the garden and plants in the late evening or early morning as less water is lost during cooler hours through evaporation,” he said.

Adhere to the 3 Rs

On waste management front, Mr Ahmed said that one should apply three-Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – to everything.“Buy refills and items with less packaging and reuse shopping bags and recycle newspaper. Generate less garbage and segregate it at household level into recyclables and organics,” he said.

“Put your recyclables into special bins provided in the community and use products recycled from paper, plastic and glass as they use less energy to manufacture than products made from completely new materials,” he added.